State of Grace
by pradaloz
Summary: Time catches up with Our Heroes. (WIP)
1. Chapter One

**Title:** State of Grace  
**Feedback to:**  
**Classification:**  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** It's not what happens; it's who it happens to.  
**Disclaimer:** All of the characters used herein are the creations and property of Nintendo. The author is not receiving any monetary compensation for this work.

**Chapter One**

"Come with me?"

The inflection was that of a request, the tilt of her head that of a polite command. Link spent half a second trying to figure out whether he was being asked or ordered before realizing it didn't particularly matter. The bright gleam in her eyes betrayed her excitement about whatever it was she wanted him for, the day was growing more unseasonably hot with every passing minute, and--most importantly--he had long since grown tired of trying to pound sense into young guards' heads. So he shrugged, sheathed his sword, and said, "All right."

Zelda smiled her usual efficient smile, nodded once, and then turned her gaze to the man standing behind Link. "I'm taking the hero from you, Captain. I hope you don't mind." She waited just long enough for Krin to nod before pivoting and striding off without appearing to go to the effort of either pivoting or striding. In Link's opinion, it was manifestly unfair that even after years of careful observation he had yet to understand--much less be able to mimic--how she did that. Shouldn't the Hero of Time be able to hurry without looking as if he was hurrying? Shouldn't he be able to saunter without people noticing that he was sauntering? Shouldn't--he cut off that train of thought when he realized that if he didn't get moving, he'd be hurrying in earnest.

Sacrificing the opportunity to impart a few last words of wisdom to the youth of Hyrule in order not to have to run after its princess, Link tossed the guard captain a salute and departed.

"Where are we going?" he asked when he caught up with her.

She didn't bother to slow down or look up. "Up to my library."

"And you're all excited because...?"

"I'm excited?"

"You were practically dancing back there."

"Nonsense. I was the very image of serenity, despite my enthusiasm."

"So you are excited."

"I have something to show you."

Her eyes and tone were coy enough that he felt obliged to inform her, "Zelda, before you get your hopes up, please realize that it's been a long day, a _hot_ day, and I've been doing a lot of sparring, so I'm a little tired..."

She stopped and peered up at him. "What?"

"You know." From the blank look in her eyes, she obviously didn't. Suddenly, he wasn't too sure if he knew what he was talking about either. "You know?" he asked, making a helpful gesture.

He didn't know whether to be amused or insulted when she laughed. Some things were not meant to be laughed at. Then again, he'd been playing the Make the Princess Guffaw game almost as long as he'd been playing the Make Malon Shriek in Horror game, so instead of considering her laughter a slight against his manhood, he could consider it a winning round.

The Hero of Time noted that he was having an awfully hard time getting his brain to shut up today. Perhaps it was the heat.

"So," he asked as they entered the castle, "how did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That I was just about to demonstrate what happens when a Hero of Time runs out of patience."

"You were going to injure the children?"

"If by 'injure' you mean 'kill.'"

"That would have gotten me into a little bit of trouble."

"Well, all right, I probably wouldn't have killed them." But he had been perilously close to killing himself. Every now and then, the Hero of Time took it upon himself to measure the fitness of Hyrule's official fight force and share some of the wisdom of his own hard-won experience upon the battlefield. _Which, if you think about it_, a voice in his head pointed out, i_sn't the right way to put it, since you've never been on a classic battlefield, with armies and charges and hundreds dying for Crown and Kingdom and--_

He took the voice by the throat and strangled it.

And so that morning he had stood before a band of new recruits gathered on the castle's training ground and delivered an inspirational speech--a beautiful speech, a moving speech, a speech lifted directly from the insipid "Ballad of Borgham the Bold," only with all of the reference to Borgham's home village replaced with "Hyrule." Because, in the Hero of Time's opinion, there was no better way to begin a full day of fighting with a little bit of humor and a lot of free verse.

His audience had stared at him with bright, adoring eyes, not one of them so much as cracking a smile, even during the "Call to Arms" bit, and Link had been stricken with fear. A sense of humor was almost always accompanied by a sense of perspective, and a sense of perspective was essential for anyone whose job was to wield deadly weapons.

Of course, he had to admit; it was entirely possible that he hadn't been as amusing as he had thought. Possible, but not probable. The Hero of Time, at fault? Never.

He chuckled, causing Zelda to glance back at him, brow arched in a silent question. "Nothing. Just my ego saying something funny."

The princess opened her mouth to respond, then closed it and shook her head. Her Munificence did not believe in shooting at easy targets.

They passed through one of the side entrances to the castle and began the long and circuitous route towards the Princess's personal suite. As they both preferred to take the less central hallways when not on public business, they were unimpeded and unmolested in their progress. Link was autonomous enough in his own way that he didn't have to listen to his countrymen's complaints, but sometimes he felt obligated to do so. Zelda neither had nor would allow herself the luxury of "sometimes."

Halfway up a flight of stairs she asked, "What do you think of the recruits?"

"I think they're alarmingly young, naive, and eager to please."

"All of that aside..."

"All of that aside, they've got potential." He took her arm to help her up a particularly steep set of steps. "I saw five who won't make it through the next few weeks, but the others all seem to have the head and the heart for the job. Even if they took everything I said too seriously."

"Hero worship can be a crippling affliction."

"So I've been told."

Emerging from the dark stairwell into the light of one of the upper corridors, they made their way onward. This was one of the newer sections of the palace, renovated after Agahnim's sacrificial ritual had blown a sizeable chunk of it into bot-sized bits. Link was privately very surprised that more of the castle had not seen similar destruction, given all of the upheavals it had been host to--most of which had occurred during his tenure as Hero of Time. It made him tired just to think about it. He had once considered creating a list of all of the various coups, invasions, and magical mayhem he'd been privileged to witness, but ultimately decided doing so would take more time and parchment than it was worth.

Besides, once he had made the list, he would be obliged to update it for every subsequent disaster, and he didn't need any more responsibilities.

"They made me feel slow." The confession had passed his lips before he could stop it.

Zelda looked up at him and, for the first time that day, he had her full attention. Her eyes swept across him like blue fire, and he had the unsettling feeling that he'd once again said too much.

But far be it from the Hero of Time to back down. "Those kids today--they were quick. Not when it came to brains, just quick on their feet. They almost kept up."

The princess assessed him, hand on the door to her suite. "You're not as young as they are," she said.

"Time flows like a river."

She made a face but let him open the door for her. "Does it upset you?" she asked, gesturing for him to take a seat at a table in one of the outer rooms.

"Only in the 'I wouldn't be thinking this if I were the age I was after Ganondorf' sense."

Her gaze softened slightly, prompting an old familiar possessiveness to stir within him. "I find you far more appealing now."

"Which is one of the many reasons I'm not complaining. I just find it unsettling to think of myself and 'slow' as two related things."

She smiled and walked over to the window. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm fatter than I was then."

"Yes, but that's an improvement." Ignoring her glare because he knew he was right, he asked, "So we're old and slow and fat, are we?"

"We've hardly even seen thirty full years."

"At this rate, we'll be dead in another five."

"Are you at all interested in what I want to show you?"

"I'm willing to see whatever you're showing."

"Good." She swept the curtain across the window, and the room went pitch black.

"Or not."

A small flame flared to life as the princess called Fire to one of the candles on the table. "I learned something interesting today," she said as she seated herself opposite him. "There is a line in the Book of Mudora about magic in the blood of Hyrule."

"That sounds pretty typically vague."

"Of course. Din forbid the wisdom of the ancients be clear and concise."

"And you've found a way to clarify heretofore murky waters?" Link asked, voice light and body tense. Years ago, he had been disturbed to learn that the Sages had been woefully ignorant of the nature and practice of magic when working to imprison Ganondorf. He had been even more disturbed to learn that the Seventh Sage had taken it upon herself to puzzle out the nature and practice of magic in the absence of any guiding authority. He had been most disturbed of all to learn that she was performing experiments within the castle walls and with herself as her test subject. Link considered it a rare occurrence of divine providence that she had not yet immolated herself. His hope that the Goddesses might see fit to prevent the tragic demise of the princess was one of the three things that prompted him to occasionally try to honor Them. Even if They were, for the most part, useless bitches.

"Perhaps," Zelda was saying, "but I suspect I've only muddied them further." Ruby fire flashed across the room as she held a familiar gem above the candle flame. "You remember when I told you about the power in these."

He did. He also remembered wondering why the spiritual stones were not locked away in the Temple of Time. "You really shouldn't leave that lying around."

"I keep it with me. From what I've been able to decipher from the Book of Mudora, each stone is, in theory, imbued with the power of the element it represents--serving as a source, but as a reservoir that any mage could draw from." The princess paused, then smiled slightly. "In practice, too."

"Hence the flooding of the summer parlor."

To her credit, the princess almost looked embarrassed. "Precisely. Just as when I tapped the power of the Zora Sapphire--I augment my ability to call and manipulate the element it represents."

All of which Link was well aware, as he'd had this lecture several times already. "The point, Zelda."

Arching a brow at his impatience, she chuckled softly. "Impa's right. We have been spending too much time together."

"I'll agree with that the day you beg to come fishing with me."

"Watch."

Before he could say anything, one of her knives appeared in her hand--someday, he vowed, he would learn where she hid all of them--and she drew it across her other palm in one fluid motion. Blood welled up and out of the wound, black as the shadows in the darkness of the room.

Alarmed, Link started, "Don't--" but the princess cut him off.

"_Watch_."

He subsided--unhappily--and watched as a few drops of her blood fell with surprising slowness onto the Spiritual Stone of Fire. Instantly, the candle flame flared higher and brighter than Din's fire, and beside it, the ruby had begun to glow with a light of its own.

Zelda's eyes were almost red in the unnatural light. "There is, it seems, power in the blood of Hyrule."

"Spirit," Link suggested.

"And Shadow."

Abruptly, the flame went out, and in the next second, light flooded the room as the princess flung open the curtains. Link blinked against the sudden onslaught as Zelda settled herself back in her chair and looked at him expectantly. "What do you think?"

"I think there's a joke in here somewhere about squeezing blood from a stone, but I haven't found it yet."

She arched her brow and refrained from comment.

"I think several things," he said, leaning back in his chair. "First: I think that it's very fascinating, and I'd like to know why the stone does that and what can be done with it. Second: I think that perhaps we should keep this information to ourselves for a little bit until we know the whys, whats, and wherefores. Finally: I find it deeply disturbing that you're carving yourself up in the name of scientific inquiry."

With a grin, she held up her palms for inspection. "I try not to leave any scars."

"That's a start."

"Although, now that I think about it, it doesn't really matter whether I do or not, since I wear gloves most of the time."

"Zelda--"

She heard the warning in his tone, and her expression let him know she didn't appreciate it. "If there's more to be learned about the nature of the Spiritual Stones, it's my duty to learn it." Cutting off his response with a cold look, she added, "I need to know about anything that can be used to protect Hyrule. We both do."

"And you're absolutely right. All I'm asking is that you exercise a little caution. This experimentation with magic is a good idea--maybe next time, you sages will know what the hell you're doing--but I don't think it's your responsibility to be your own test subject."

"Hyrule--"

"Needs you." It went without saying that he needed her as well, but to her--to both of them--Hyrule's need would always trump that of any Hylian. "Unless, of course, you think that Stefan's ready to take your place."

As Zelda's closest blood kin, Lord Stefan was her nominal heir. He was a nice enough boy, Link supposed, but he was only fourteen years old and completely unfamiliar with the intricacies of running a kingdom.

"You make things sound so dire," the princess murmured, unwilling and unable to argue in her cousin's favor.

"Dire and I are well-acquainted."

"You do realize, of course, that this is work that must be done, and that the Seventh Sage is the best person to do it?"

Link stifled an exasperated sigh. He would not get upset. He had been having a good day. He had an entire day's worth of fishing planned for tomorrow. There was no need to get himself worked up. "I can't stop you."

"No, you can't." And, Din damn her, she had the balls to look amused.

The ensuing silence was broken by a knock at the door, which was quickly followed by Zelda's chief steward, a small, colorless, but eminently competent man. Tirro acknowledged the Hero of Time with a nod before turning to the princess. "Highness, Mistress Malon from Lon Lon Ranch is here to see you regarding Endori."

Now it was Link's turn to cast an amused look at Zelda. "I thought you'd sent someone over to help her with that."

"I like to make sure things are proceeding according to schedule."

"Don't worry about it; Malon's a dependable girl. She and the horses will be ready."

Zelda shrugged. "I have a passion for needless supervision."

"So I've noticed."

"Also--" Princess and hero both started as the steward reminded them of his presence. "There's a bit of a problem developing down in the great hall."

"What kind of problem?" Link asked, hoping it was something that would be worth the time and effort of mediation.

Alas, his hopes were for naught. "As I understand it, two farmers from outside Kakariko have been arguing for several months now over who owns what part of a certain cow. They each decided separately to come see you about it today, ran into one another downstairs and came to blows..." Tirro trailed off with a shrug. "There was also something about a daughter that I didn't catch."

"They want to waste Zelda's time with that?" Link knew he shouldn't be annoyed, but, Din damn it, he hadn't fought countless monsters and come close to death countless times just so two twits could pester his princess with something any reasonable two adults ought to be able to work out on their own.

The expression on Tirro's face showed that his opinion of the situation was similar to Link's, but all he said was, "I told them I'd see what could be done."

Both men looked to the princess. "Show Mistress Malon to the Garden Room," she said. "I'll meet her there. Link..."

"I'll make sure our friends with the cow go home happy."

After a quick glance at the princess to be sure she approved of the plan, the steward bowed and withdrew. Link chuckled and shook his head. At Zelda's inquisitive look, he explained, "I can't believe I just offered to settle a bovine dispute."

Her bright blue eyes glittered with humor, and Link was glad that he'd managed to dispense of the earlier tension before it had had a chance to resume. "Perhaps we ought to have your friend Malon handle it."

"Now that's just mean."

"She has a better understanding of a cow's value than either of us ever will."

"I gave her friendship, she gave me a cow," he murmured. "It never quite seemed like a fair trade."

"Nonsense. You can live off of butter and steak, but what will friendship give you?"

"Happiness? A sense of self-worth? A life worth living?"

"Try convincing our friends downstairs of that."

"You know, I think I just might." Pushing himself to his feet, Link reached across the table to her. "Most Royal Highness," he teased, and kissed her hand.

"Sir," she purred.

Link was halfway out the door when he stopped and looked back over his shoulder. As he had expected, she was watching him intently. "Be careful."

"Of course." It was a dismissal, but he wasn't finished.

"Please."

Those who did not know the princess might have taken the slight inclination of her head as a sign of acquiescence. The Hero of Time, however, knew her inside out, upside down, and in all sorts of interesting positions. He knew better than to expect surrender from someone who, like himself, did not know the meaning of the word. But he could expect her to respect him enough to honor his request--or at least try to. Link would just have to settle for that.


	2. Chapter Two

**Title:** State of Grace  
**Feedback to:** pradaloz00@yahoo.com  
**Classification:**   
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** An attempt to explore what it's like to be a hero.  
**Disclaimer:** All of the characters used herein are the creations and property of Nintendo. The author is not receiving any monetary compensation for this work.  


**Chapter Two**

Malon of Lon Lon Ranch, renowned horse trainer and breeder, owner of Hyrule's most prosperous business, looked at the room around her and decided that she was glad she had outgrown any passing childhood fantasies about living a life of luxury. She couldn't find fault with her surroundings, indeed, with its extravagant furnishings and glass paneled doors leading out to the castle gardens, the room was a sight to behold. But Malon had always been of the opinion that rooms were meant to be lived in, not looked at, and this place made her afraid to so much as sit down. She was already nervous that she would make a fool out herself in front of the princess; getting dirt all over the furniture certainly wouldn't help her make a good impression. 

And so she stood in the middle of the room, tried not to touch anything, and told herself firmly that if she could handle a cantankerous mare with ease, she could handle a conversation with her monarch. 

She had met the princess before--in fact, the princess had sought her out not a few weeks ago to ask Malon if she wished to bring her horses to the summit at Endori. It had been a late afternoon, and Malon had been in the middle of setting feed for the evening, when she had happened to look up and see the Princess of All Hyrule standing in the feed room's doorway, watching her intently. Malon had been surprised, honored, and even a little bit frightened, though not nearly as frightened as Ingo had been. Over ten years had passed since Ganondorf's reign, and still Ingo worried that the princess would punish him for his betrayal. 

Link had called it treason. So, he'd told Malon, had the princess. 

And everyone knew that treason meant death. 

Malon had been told, but never could bring herself to believe, that it had been her own passionate defense of Ingo that had saved him from justice. True, the man had been a petty tyrant working in Ganondorf's shadow, but Malon was certain, even in the absence of evidence, that Ingo had somehow been put under Ganondorf's spell--brainwashed into becoming one of the King of Evil's servants. For all his complaints about Talon and the ranch, Ingo had never before and never after been so cruel as he had during those seven dark years. There was simply no other explanation for it. Malon couldn't stand by and see a man punished for his behavior when he wasn't in control of his own actions, and she had told Link that she wouldn't. Apparently, Link had told the princess, for the princess soon summoned Ingo to the castle for what Link had cheerfully referred to as "a chat." Malon could count the number of Ingo's complaints since then on one hand. 

And Link teased her about being afraid of the princess? The fairy boy needed to learn that sometimes a good dose of caution was only prudent. 

Malon smiled to herself, then shied like a green filly when the door opened and the ruler of all Hyrule swept into the room. 

"Mistress Malon," the princess said by way of greeting. 

"Your Highness," Malon said, hoping her bow was adequate. Both Link and Meridy had tried to show her how, Link insisting that technique wasn't very important, and Meridy insisting that it was if Malon didn't want to unwittingly offend any foreign dignitaries. Malon felt it was safer to trust Meridy's expertise. Link was probably the best friend Malon would ever have, and she loved him dearly, but he wasn't necessarily a trustworthy source of advice on such subjects. "Before we get started--I have to thank you again for letting me come with you to Endori. It's such a wonderful opportunity for the ranch...." 

"And for Hyrule as well," the princess pointed out, clasping the rancher's hand briefly, before settling into a chair. "Which is, as I'm sure you've realized, why I invited you. Now," she continued as Malon gingerly sat down opposite her, "I have only a few questions for you." 

Yes, Meridy had been a great help in teaching her all about the peculiar cultural mores of the five kingdoms and which ones Malon might find useful while trying to sell her horses. Yes, Malon had spoken with Captain Krin about assigning a few of his men to guard against horse thieves. No, she wasn't planning on bringing any of her breeding stock for display purposes; that would be foolish. 

Had she just called the princess's suggestion foolish? 

"What I meant was, well, not foolish, really, just unwise..." An unwise notion coming from the guardian of the Triforce of Wisdom? "Not unwise, but..." She floundered. 

"If I knew whether or not it was an unwise idea, Mistress Malon, I wouldn't have had to ask." For a horrifying moment, Malon thought the other woman was mocking her, but there was nothing but honesty in the princess's eyes as she said, "You're the expert, not I." 

It occurred to Malon then that the woman across from her, who was looking at her with a mixture of practiced calm and appraisal, was her best friend's lover. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. There were many things she didn't understand about Link, and there were many things she didn't want to understand about him. She wondered is this would be one of the latter. The prospect made her feel sad. What it was like to fight and kill, and what it was like to rejoice in both--those were things she never wanted to know. But what it was like to be in love--that was something best friends ought to know about each other. It hurt to think he didn't want to tell her. 

Then again, she hadn't exactly been forthcoming with him about Damien, so she supposed she shouldn't cast stones. Besides, she and Link had both been so busy lately that they hadn't had a chance to sit and talk the way they used to. Granted, she didn't miss his attempts to terrorize her father's cuccos and generally wreak havoc around the ranch, but she missed having the chance to chat with him every now and then. Perhaps there would be time enough in Endori. Perhaps there would even be time enough for her begin to understand the princess. 

Malon had to smile at that, even as she refused the princess's offer of a glass of wine. While she knew and enjoyed the company of many people in Castle Town, life at the ranch had prevented her from growing close to anyone other than her father, Link, and now Damien. It would be nice to have a female friend. 

She was drawn from her thoughts as the princess spoke again. "There's one thing I doubt anyone bothered to mention to you. It probably never occurred to them." Zelda set her glass down on the table in front of her and leaned forward to meet Malon's eyes, her gaze intent. "You will most likely be the only woman in charge of so large a business at the fair. You'll certainly be the first independent businesswoman some of the summit-goers will have ever seen. For better or for worse, it will be a new experience for many of them." 

Malon nodded slowly and began to ask, "Is there something I should--" 

"You would be best off acting as if you are unaware that you are an anomaly, but you must never forget that that's what you are." 

Malon considered that for a moment, then smiled and said, "You and me both, I guess." The princess looked up at her sharply, and Malon realized that she had overstepped her bounds by at least a mile. Certain that her face was as red as her hair, she tried to formulate an apology. "My lady, I'm so sorry--I don't know why I--I didn't mean--" Abandoning all hope of forgiveness or a complete sentence, the rancher decided to keep it simple so she could retreat before offending her monarch further. "I'm sorry!" 

Zelda stared at her for one more terrifyingly long moment. At last, the barest trace of a smile spread across the princess's face, and she said, "Yes, I suppose. You and I both." 

Relief coursed through the rancher as swiftly as the current of Zora's river, and she couldn't help but smile as she apologized, "I don't think the etiquette lessons have sunk in yet." 

"They will." Holding Malon's gaze long enough to let her know that the lessons had better sink in, Zelda nodded and rose to her feet. "Thank you for your time today, Mistress Malon. I shall have a guardsman escort you back to the ranch." 

"Oh, thank you, but that won't be necessary, Your Highness." 

"I don't mean to sound patronizing, but it will be dark by the time you reach the ranch," the princess said, with the barest trace of a frown, "and I know I would be loathe to encounter a band of wolfoses alone." 

Malon shook her head. "What I meant was, I won't be going back to the ranch tonight. I've got a friend...." She trailed off, aware that she was blushing again. 

With a chuckle, the princess gestured towards the door. "In that case, I give you leave to enjoy yourself." 

"Oh," Malon said, the conspiratorial gleam in the other woman's eyes putting her at ease for the first time since she'd entered the castle, "I always do." She rose to join the princess, and was about bow her way out when a touch on her arm halted her. 

"One more question, Malon. If you don''t mind." The rancher looked up, curious, and Zelda asked, "What do you think of magic?" 

"Magic, Your Highness?" 

If she hadn't spent a lifetime working with beasts who spoke only through their bodies, Malon would have missed the subtle tightening of the princess's expression. "Yes," she said, "Magic." Crossing her arms, the princess leaned against the doorframe, waiting. 

"I think," Malon began, wondering what the other woman was driving at, "I think that I don't know much about it." 

"Does it frighten you?" 

Several years ago, a band of moblins had tried to storm the ranch. Unfortunately for them, the Hero of Time had currently been in residence and had swept them all up in Din's Fire. It had been bright and hideous and the stench of charred flesh had hung in the air for days. "Yes. Sometimes." 

"If you knew more about it, would it frighten you as much?" 

If she hadn't known what Link was capable of, she wouldn't have been as frightened of him. But then again, not knowing what Ganondorf had been capable of had kept her hiding within the ranch during the seven years of his reign. "It's hard to say," she started, acutely aware that the princess had probably wanted an intelligent and articulate opinion--something Malon knew she was incapable of. "But I think I'd rather know and be afraid than not know and be afraid." With a self-conscious laugh, she said, "It sounds like I'm always afraid, doesn't it?" 

"No." It wasn't what the princess said--Malon had expected her to be polite and deny it--so much as how she said it, with a quiet certainty that was reflected in her eyes, that made Malon believe what she said next. "It sounds as if you're actually quite wise." 

*** 

Several weeks later, the normally subdued bustle of the castle environs had given way to a sense of impending chaos as various domestic dignitaries gathered for a pre-summit banquet. The great hall gleamed, the guests mingled with slightly drunken jocularity, and from his vantage point within a dark corner of the hall, the Hero of Time wondered if he should be disturbed at the level of excitement at what was essentially a send-off party. Even though no one was paying any attention to him--and that was a first, but then again, wasn't that why he was lurking back here?--he bit back a smirk. There was no way these people were celebrating the temporary absence of himself and the princess. They knew they'd all be dead now if it weren't for the two of them. 

It wasn't so much that Link expected to be showered with honors for he'd done for Hyrule--though he never complained when he was--as much as he appreciated a little appreciation. He did what he did because it was the right thing to do, but he grew supremely annoyed when people took their safety and prosperity for granted. It wasn't something that had been guaranteed the moment he'd helped the sages banish Ganondorf, it was something that had to be earned every day through hard work and dedication, and Din damn it, he was starting to sound like Rauru. 

Speaking of whom, the man himself was standing in the center of the hall, trapped in a conversation with Lord Falkir of the Long Wind. Link told himself that he shouldn't be so amused to see Rauru stuck with the man, but as someone who'd been at the receiving end of both men's pomposity multiple times, he couldn't help but think of it as poetic justice. In fact, the lord was the reason the Hero of Time was currently in hiding--being cornered once in one night was enough for him. He had just endured an extremely long rant from the man about how he was going to convince Zelda to negotiate a new trade agreement with Calatia that would somehow enrich his estate further. Link wasn't too clear on the details; he'd been too busy trying to figure why the man had been acting as if he had some sort of special influence on the princess that the Hero of Time ought to be jealous of. It was bizarre--surely everyone in Hyrule knew that the Hero of Time was sleeping with the princess. How in the great, wide, wonderful world could anyone claim to possess any greater influence? 

Link didn't like to think of his fellow Hylians as stupid, but sometimes he wondered if he would have to fuck Zelda in front of the entire council for some of them to get the point. 

And the frightening yet wonderful thing was, if he caught her in the right mood, she just might agree to it. 

He was rather preoccupied with that image when a hand grabbed his arm, and, startled, he whirled around, reaching for his sword. He hadn't quite drawn when the Sage of Spirit's smirk registered in his mind, and he reflected that perhaps it was possible to have one's reflexes a little too finely honed. "Nabooru!" 

"Oh, please don't hurt me," she said, "I'm so weak and defenseless." 

He sighed and slid his sword back into its sheath. "Was that necessary?" Upon seeing the triumphant look on her face, he sighed and answered his own question. "Yes, I suppose it was." 

"You didn't even hear me coming!" she crowed and clapped her hands together in delight. 

"And what a momentous occasion it is. Quick, let's find a scribe to document it for posterity." 

Still grinning with delight, Nabooru punched him in the arm and laughed when he winced. "Oh, come off it. Some of us need to be reminded that we're still as sneaky as we were when we were seventeen." 

"Consider yourself reassured." 

"The moment you hit the ceiling." The look on his face prompted her to continue, "And I have to say, kid, that was impressive. Are you wearing Pegasus Boots? I don't think a normal man should be able to jump that high. Maybe there's something wrong with you." The solicitous look in her golden eyes was undermined by her smirk. "Have you been letting Zelda practice spells on you again?" 

Link discarded the first reply that came to mind, then reconsidered, then reconsidered his reconsideration. "Too easy," he decided. 

"Humor an old woman and say it." 

He laughed. "Nabooru, the day you grow old will be the day...." He thought for a moment. "Well, I would say the day the sun sets forever and we're plunged into a long dark night of horror and despair, but that somehow seems inadequate." 

"Flattery's not too subtle a diversionary tactic, kid, but I'll take it." She looked away to scan the room. "And where is our sainted leader tonight?" 

"Last I saw, Her Saintly Blondeness was performing strange and mysterious rites in front of a mirror." 

"Strange and mysterious, eh? Doing something new with her hair?" 

"Damned if I know. Female grooming habits are beyond my ken." 

The sage shrugged, still studying the crowd of people beyond them. "She can't really come down until Ruto's here." 

Yes, of course, Link thought. Din forbid the hosting princess wait upon the pleasure of the visiting princess. Power games were all very well and good, but the Hero of Time was perilously close to starving to death. And, really, were matters of personal pride worth a hero's life? Especially when the princesses in question played their games for fun, not for any real political purpose? "But I'm hungry." 

"Poor boy." 

"Poor me." Searching the hall for any sign of the Zora princess, Link caught sight of a familiar figure. The lovely Malon of Lon Lon Ranch was looking especially pretty tonight in a dark blue dress that set off her brilliant red hair as she chatted with the castle's stable master. Seemingly by chance, the rancher looked up just as Link spotted her. He waved and wondered if she had found the eyeball frog in her bureau yet. Given the overpowering brightness of her smile and the vigor with which she waved back, she had not only found it but had also plotted and possibly executed her revenge. 

Link reminded himself that friendly pranks really shouldn't make the Hero of Time nervous. He'd faced far worse than short-sheeted beds in his day. But perhaps he'd spend the next few days living in of Zelda's rooms. 

"Oh, I forgot to tell you." Nabooru's voice jolted him out of his thoughts, making him jump again. "Din, settle down, would you? You're making me nervous. I was going to thank you for this." She held up a muscular arm to show him a topaz-studded gold bracelet. "Very sweet of you, kid. But you know what your room needs? Booby traps. You have to make things more challenging for me." 

"I have booby traps," he said, a tad defensively. 

She snorted. "What, that thing with the magic powder? A five-year-old Gerudo girl could disarm that. And speaking of five-year-old Gerudo girls, you might be interested to know that Ahaara's had her first lesson with a sword as of today." 

"I am interested to know that. Thank you for *finally* sharing some information about her. I was beginning to think she was a figment of my imagination." 

Nabooru's shrug, like everything about her, was lithe and exquisite. "Fathers have never been too important to us, kid. Did you think you'd be any different?" 

"I like to think I'm special." 

She laughed and clasped his arm. "Oh, you are in your own little way," she said. "And because you are, I'll even let you know that the girl's a natural." 

"She'd damn well better be." 

"Or the heavens will fall," Nabooru intoned, and they both snickered. "But seriously, kid, is Zelda doing something new with her hair?" 

"I told you. I don't know." He glared at the room in general. "But she'd better get down here soon." 

"I hope so." Leaning back against a column, Nabooru crossed her arms and added, "I need to get some time with her before you all head off to Endori. One of my girls took a trip to Hetvia--" 

"Upper or Lower?" 

"Upper. And while she was there, an earl of some sort-- 

"Is this about the tapestries?" 

"Yes, and my girl discover--" 

"I've been instructed not to discuss it with you." 

Nabooru clapped her hands together and let out a whoop of laughter. "Oh ho! So Zelda owns a whip, does she?" 

"Let's leave Sir Crack-and-Smack out of this." 

"Ah, I knew there was a reason I loved the girl." 

He was trying so hard not to grin and failing so miserably. "It's the little things, isn't it?" 

"Always has been and forever will be." 

The ensuing silence gave him time to remember one of the reasons why he had wanted to find some time to talk to _her._ "Nabooru, do the Gerudo have any documentation on blood magic? Have you ever heard of such a thing?" 

"I have." She cocked her head "You might want to ask Impa if the Sheikah know anything about it, too. Those folks have lots of little secrets. Loved hording them, too." 

"Knowledge is power." 

She snorted. "I've heard that speech before. Hell, I've given it." 

"Yes, the little sage spat about Zelda's project. Trust me, I've heard all about it. Wish I could've been there for the hair-pulling." 

"Be glad you weren't." Nabooru's eyes narrowed at the memory. "Mystics and their little secrets." She spat on the ground. "That's what gets you the Ganondorfs of the world. Keeping everyone in the dark, afraid of a power they've been told exists. No one dares oppose them because they're only taught to fear, not to understand." 

"Why Nabooru, I had no idea you felt so strongly," Link murmured, trying not to grin. 

"You weren't there for his rise to power, kid. I was lucky enough to watch the entire thing." They were silent for a moment, while Nabooru fumed and Link shifted uncomfortably. He was never sure whether he should express relief or regret that he hadn't been present for most of Ganondorf's reign. One would be disrespectful, the other disingenuous. At last, Nabooru sighed. "I'll see what I can find for you. And, as I said, you might be able to pry some information from Impa, even though you're not Sheikah. Your best bet would be to have Zelda ask, since--" 

As if on cue, the princess appeared at the other end of the hall. "You're assuming I want Zelda to know," Link said, watching her greet the Calatian ambassador. 

Nabooru followed the direction of his gaze and chuckled. "So who's keeping secrets now?" 

"Everyone keeps secrets, Nabooru." 

"Yeah, but you're not so good at it." If he weren't busy keeping an eye on the ambassador, Link would have seen the sage look back at him. "Why now?" 

"I worry." 

Beside him, Nabooru said nothing. Eventually, Link broke the silence. "Looks like things are finally getting started." He started forward into the heart of the great hall, but paused when the Sage of Spirit did not move to come with him. "You coming?" 

Her gaze was steady and measuring. "Is everything all right, kid?" 

"Sure, everything's swell." When she looked at him speculatively, he grinned and gestured for her to join him. "Come on, we've both got hearts to break." 

With a shrug, she stepped forward, chuckling. "Think you can top me this time?" 

"Bet you fifty rupees I can." 

"If you win, I'll pay you your fifty rupees," she sauntered up to him and slapped him on the shoulder. "You won't, though." Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she struck a provocative pose before turning around to stride off. "And when I win, I want to see that whip in action," she called over her shoulder. 

"You and most of Hyrule," he called back, and then, laughing, followed her out into the crowd.   
  



	3. Chapter Three

**Title:** State of Grace  
**Feedback to:**  
**Classification:** OOT-era  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** It's not about what happens; it's about who it happens to.  
**Disclaimer:** All of the characters used herein are the creations and property of Nintendo. The author is not receiving any monetary compensation for this work.  
**Note:** More hard drive dumping.

**Chapter Three  
**

The food was served, the wine was poured, and the assorted denizens of Hyrule gorged until nothing was left. Then came the music and the dancing, and if the sight of hundreds of stuffed Hyrulians reeling with drunken jocularity was less than artful, everyone was having too much of a good time to care.

Link was not above indulging in the fun, and he wasted no time in taking advantage of the situation to dance with some of Hyrule's more comely citizens. Eventually he realized that he ought to make sure the Sages were likewise enjoying themselves. Surrendering Malon--who, it was worth mentioning, had very skillfully avoided all of his attempts to find out how she planned to pay him back for the frog--to the assistant stable master--who, it was also worth mentioning, kept hovering around the rancher for reasons Link couldn't quite figure--and made his way out to the edges of the hall.

For a moment, he stood where he was, scanning the room for a glimpse of the Sages. Ruto was at one end of the hall, laughing up at the young male Zora whose arm she had been hanging off of all night. Not three paces away, Nabooru was likewise hanging off the arm of a young man. Upon closer inspection, Link realized Nabooru's companion was one of the guardsmen in training. In fact, the kid had been one of the few with his head firmly bolted to his shoulders, and Link sent a quick prayer to any Goddess that cared to listen that Nabooru wouldn't be too rough with the boy. The good ones were too few and far between to risk losing to broken hearts.

At the other end of the hall, Saria had organized a group of children into an impromptu dance lesson and was busy demonstrating the Kakariko Two Step, eliciting gales of laughter from her students. Darunia and Impa were nowhere to be seen, which, considering Darunia's size, meant that the Goron King had either stepped out or was hiding behind Biggoron. And how Biggoron had managed to make it into the Great Hall at all was utterly beyond Link's comprehension.

That only left two sages, and Link didn't particularly care where Rauru had ended up. Zelda, on the other hand...Link hadn't danced with her once this evening, and that was simply Not Right. Neither was it Just, nor Good, nor any of the other virtues for which the Hero of Time was supposed to fight. He'd have to do something to fix this sorry state of affairs.

His quest for the evening thus established, Link ventured forth into the heart of the hall. It took a bit of time for him to make his way through the crowd--every Hylian and his neighbor seemed to have something vastly important, like a daughter's wedding or a baby's first tooth, to share with the Hero of Time--but eventually he caught sight of his target. She was perched on the edge of a bench on the periphery of the activity. As he drew closer, he could see she had arranged herself in classic The Princess, She Ponders position, chin held in one hand, staring at an indistinct point on the floor. She was, he realized, brooding.

Ridiculous. Ridiculous, but easily mended. All Link had to do was saunter over, spout a few witticisms, and she'd laugh and they'd dance and it would all be wonderful again. Link was, after all, the Hero of Time. He made _everything_ wonderful. There were even the ballads to prove it. _Wonderful_ ballads.

The Hero of Time was beginning to suspect he might be a bit tipsy.

Zelda looked up at his approach and arched a brow. "Enjoying yourself?"

"As always." He settled down beside her and said, "Malon wants me to take Epona to Endori."

"She's not too old?"

"Nah, the ponygirl's still in the full blush of girlhood. I seem to be the only one affected by the rapid flow of time's river's...flow."

"Fishing for compliments, now?" the princess asked with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I meant Epona."

"Oh, _Epona._ No, apparently Epona's been giving Malon all kinds of hell lately--thinks she's a young filly again. Malon thinks the trip will settle her down some."

"And you?"

"And me what?"

Now she truly was smiling. "Will it settle you down? You've been all aflutter recently."

"Aflutter?"

"Up in the air, unable to stay still, flittering hither and yon..."

"I'm the Hero of Time, not a _fairy_."

"At times, one wonders."

"And how _is_ Sheik these days, anyway?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"You mean I'm not right now?"

"Not," she said, with an overly coy batting of her eyelashes, "technically."

Link chuckled and brushed his hand against her cheek. She leaned forward expectantly, and he pulled away. "No."

"No?"

"You," he said, shaking his finger at her, "made me wait for dinner. I almost starved."

"I was delayed. There was a bird from Ravenna with an important message."

He took her gloved hand in his, absently running his thumb over the silk covering the back of her palm. "And?"

"And Urien is dead." Hand tightening in his, she added, "An unexpected seizure kills a healthy man and a thirteen-year-old boy rules Ravenna."

"Are you sure you're not jumping at the sight of a gel?" While she mulled that over, he added, "Urien was in his sixties. It's not unusual for men that age to die unexpectedly."

"I am predisposed to spot coups," she admitted.

"The bloodier the better."

"Bloodier is better."

Her gaze lost focus for a moment, and he knew that instead of him, she was seeing a complex tangle of alliances and kingdoms and the slender threads of treaties that connected them all together. He knew this because he was seeing it, too. King Urien had been a distant but dependable ally. Hyrule had few dealings with Ravenna, but the latter was advantageously situated along the western coast of the continent--if any of the five kingdoms wanted access to a viable port along the ocean, they would have to be on good terms with Ravenna and its monarch. But then, Hyrule as yet had little need of ocean-side harbors. "How will this affect your plans for Endori?" he asked to draw her back to him.

"Not too terribly much."

"But?" There was always a "but."

"But it's difficult to negotiate with a head of state when the head of state is a child." There was always a "but," and there was always more, so Link waited until she made a face and added, "A particularly difficult child."

"A brat?" It had been years since Link had last been through Ravenna, far too long ago for the populace to have had an opinion of the old king's grandson.

"If one is feeling generous."

He gave the news due consideration and decided, "It will all be all right."

"So the Hero of Time says, and so it shall be."

"Are you mocking me?"

"Far be it from me to mock the Hero of Time."

"You _are_ mocking me."

"You are indeed a shrewd and discerning man."

"At least I've got something going for me."

They fell silent, Zelda lapsing back into whatever thoughts she had been thinking before Link had arrived, Link lapsing back into no particular thoughts. So it was he nearly leapt out of his skin--_twice in one evening_, he reflected sourly--when a deep, rumbling voice spoke behind them.

"Ah, young love. It is most beautiful, is it not, Sister?"

A complex snort answered this pronouncement, along with a parchment-dry, "That's one word for it."

The hero and the princess turned to see the Sages of Fire and Shadow standing behind them. The hero had just enough time to get out a "Hel--" before he was swept up into the Goron's arms in a brotherly hug that squeezed all of the air from his lungs. "It is good to see you, Brother!" Darunia bellowed, before releasing the hero and turning to the princess, "And you, Sister." Instead of giving Zelda a similarly crushing hug, Darunia simply patted her on the top of the head. Link would have asked why _her_ ribs were always spared, but he still hadn't recovered enough to do anything but wheeze.

"My Brother," Zelda said, rising to her feet with the first genuine smile she'd worn all evening. "I hope you are enjoying yourself."

"Absolutely; the marble you had your chefs serve was of excellent quality. It saddens me that your kind cannot truly appreciate the taste of so fine a vein."

"It's one of our many failings," Impa remarked dryly. "But we're not here to discuss the feast."

"Oh?"

"Darunia and I have been speaking about this trip. We're concerned."

Able at last to draw a deep breath, Link said, "You've been having reservations, Impa?"

"This is the first I've heard of any," Zelda said, frowning.

"You're hearing about it now. And not reservations so much as premonitions." The Sheikah woman's hand drifted almost absently to the hilt of the short sword that was always on her belt. "Both our Brother of Fire and I have."

Link looked up at Darunia, who had crossed his arms in front of his chest and was looking fairly grim. "What kind of premonition?"

"A sense of unease," the Goron said. "Nothing more. But my sister Impa and I felt that if we both had the same foreboding, we should let you know."

"But no prophecy? No messages from the Spirit Realm?"

If Zelda's tone was a little sharp, Link couldn't find fault with it. This whole conversation was making him feel a little snappish, too--snappish and tired. So many vague senses of doom. So many warnings. Could he have just a few months in a row without wondering when the next big bad was going to slap him around? If nothing else, recovering from a few broken bones took longer now that he was in his thirties than it did when he was seventeen. "So what's your point?"

"Our point is this: watch your backs."

Link couldn't help but grin. "We always do, Impa."

"Excellent!" Darunia boomed and clapped Link on the shoulder, nearly knocking him to the floor in the process. "Come, brother. A Hylian blacksmith has challenged one of my littler brothers to a wrestling match. Let us watch our littler brother crush him."

"Darunia?" Zelda's voice stopped them on their way out. "He won't _literally_ crush my blacksmith, will he?"

The Sage of Fire laid a hand on top of the Princess's head. "Sister, I promise you, I will not allow one of my subjects to kill one of your subjects."

"Thank you, I do appreciate it."

The Goron's chuckle was the deep rumble of an avalanche as he dragged the hero off with him.

***

By the time Link reeled back upstairs, clutching a now-empty wine bottle, Zelda was asleep. Link stared at her, torn between guilt at having been sidetracked and annoyance that she hadn't bothered to stay up. Eventually, he decided to pass up annoyance for guilt, set the bottle down, and crawled onto the bed to make amends. No amount of attention elicited the faintest twitch of response. Stymied, Link sat back and considered his options. Clearly, waking her up was going to require some firepower, and he could always run back to his room for a bombchu or two--Nayru knew he had enough to spare. Yes, that was it, he'd just set off a small explosion, she'd wake up, and he'd say..... Say what? _"Sorry about waking you up, but I thought we were going to have some fun?"_ Or, even better: _"Forgot to tell you this earlier, but __I've asked Nabooru to raid the Gerudo libraries for information on blood magic, just so's I can keep an eye on you?" _Or, best of all, if the bombchu went astray,_ "Guess what? The room's on fire."_ He doubted she would appreciate any of those.

Realizing that perhaps small explosions and ridiculous explanations were probably not in his best interest, the Hero of Time admitted defeat (only to himself, of course, and only for the moment), shrugged out of his clothes, pressed his face into the Princess of Destiny's shoulder, and passed out.

***

He knew it was a dream as soon as he saw her face. Only in his dreams was it so soft, her expression so gentle. But her smile--he'd seen that smile before. He could count then number of times he had on one hand, but each was worth several lifetimes. It made him think that maybe he was winning his fight against her inner melancholy. It made him think that maybe, she might just love him.

"Hello, Princess," he said. It might not be real, but he could at least enjoy it while it lasted.

His fingers twined through her hair. He loved her hair--the way it felt when it swept against his bare skin, the way it smelled in the dark of the night.

"I love you," he whispered and pulled until he heard a snap.

Her body cooled faster than he had expected. He watched her fall from his arms into the nothingness of the dreamscape, and the rational part of his brain pounded against the barrier to consciousness like a Zora trapped under ice. _Not happening not happening make it stop make it--_

The waking world was black and silent when he finally managed to break into it, gasping for breath. Beside him, Zelda lay cold and still, and that was not good, it wasn't right, and he had to shake her and shake her until she rolled over to face him.

Bright blue eyes blinked up at him, still too blurry with sleep to register irritation at being so rudely awoken.

"It's okay," he said, more to himself than to her.

She blinked again, and abruptly her gaze sharpened and gained focus. "A dream?"

He nodded, not sure he wanted to put a word to something so awful.

"Prophetic?"

His reply was far more vehement than he had intended. "No!" _Never._

Concern filled Zelda's eyes. She made a skeptical noise, and started, "If it--"

"_No_." Link ran a hand through his sweaty hair and forced himself to smile. "Just a nightmare."

There was a precarious breath in which she looked as if she still didn't quite believe him, before she smiled back and said, "Nothing new, then. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe tomorrow." With any luck, she'd be far too busy with trip preparations to remember. "But right now, I need my beauty sleep."

Zelda's unregal eye roll was marred by an equally unregal yawn. "I'm not taking the bait, Link."

"I'd be deeply disappointed if you did."

Her response was another yawn and, "I'm going back to sleep now."

"What, no cuddling or comfort? I had a terrible dream, and I'm awfully scared."

Without bothering to open her eyes, she held her arms out. "Come here."

Link chuckled as he burrowed up against her and her arms went around him. "This is nice; I feel so much more safe now."

"The things I do," Zelda muttered.

"Grumble, grumble, Princess," he said, but she was already asleep. Link closed his eyes, listened to her heart beat, and wondered if love was this terrifying for other men.

***

It was a simple fact of royal life that matters of state always took more time than was allotted to them, and moving matters of state took even longer. It was thus hardly surprising to Zelda that the Endori party was behind schedule in departing.

The Hero of Time, however, was not used to waiting for anyone whenever he set off on a journey and was thus not dealing with the delay with much grace and dignity. Already he'd managed to snap at seven different retainers--a full third of their party--and Zelda had seen him indulge in a little dance of impatience as he watched some poor servant try to fit more bags onto an already full wagon. The sight, like so many things about him, had made her almost laugh in delight.

Impa had warned her about such things turning people into fools. Zelda liked to think she was putting up a good fight, but sometimes she doubted her own ability to struggle much longer against the inevitable. To distract herself from such ridiculous matters, she reflected upon Impa's most recent warning.

_"I should be going with you," Impa had said after Link and Darunia had wandered off to the wrestling match._

_"I'll be perfectly fine with Link and the guards. I'm not so bad with a weapon, myself."_

_"You're not bad, but you're not great."_

_"And who taught me? Besides, there's no one else I can trust to help Stefan watch over things while I'm gone. It has to be you, Impa."_

"_My first duty is your well-being. I understand why you want me to stay, but don't ask me to like it."  
_

_"Why, because of some vague sense of foreboding?"  
_

_"Don't play stupid with me, Zelda. Neither Darunia nor I are taken to issue frivolous warnings. This is real: watch your back."_

_"You heard Link, Impa. We always do."_

_"And don't be flippant, either. You've been sensing something, too. You might be able to hide it from the boy, but not from me."_

_"I have sensed something, Impa, but then, I often sense trouble where there's none to be had."_

_"Oh? And have you tried looking into the future?"_

_"Yes."_

_"What have you seen?"  
_

_"Nothing." Meeting Impa's crimson eyes, the princess hoped her guardian would see nothing more than the truth in her own. "Nothing at all."_

Nothing, when all her life, there had been something. She didn't dare think about what that might mean.

There was a flurry of movement at the edge of her vision, and Zelda looked over just in time to see Link go sprinting across the courtyard towards the stables. He had better hurry, she thought, for it looked like her steward was finally ready for their departure. The royal party would meet up with Malon and her sales herd in Hyrule Field, then begin the trek south. But before they left, there was one item of business to attend to. Standing in her stirrups, Zelda scanned the crowd in the courtyard briefly for her young cousin and finally spotted him beside Impa's tall form. Upon catching his eye, she gestured for him to approach.

The poor child looked sick with apprehension. Smiling as gently as she could--though she had always suspected her smiles were never as nice as she wanted them to be and that her subjects were too polite to tell her so--Zelda nodded to the boy and said, "Hyrule is in your care."

In other circumstances, it would have been the wrong thing to say, for Stefan paled even further at her words. But no matter how frightening he found the prospect, the boy needed to realize the full extent of his responsibilities. Zelda was leaving him with a competent court, and Ruto and Nabooru had volunteered to drop in occasionally to dispense advice and provide a sympathetic ear for the boy. But no matter how reasoned the advice or how insightful the counsel, in the end, decisions would be made by one person and one alone. The boy would have to be ready. Trouble was coming.

Impa's and Darunia's unease, Rauru's warnings, Link's dreams (no matter how fervently he tried to lie about them--he'd always been a poor liar), and her own lack of any kind of premonition all predicted it. Each taken on its own would be no reason for alarm. The confluence of these signs, however, was something no rational person could, in good conscience, ignore. The land of Hyrule spoke to its people in a language both subtle and strange, and it was the Princess's duty as Leader of the Sages to decipher its messages. It was Zelda's duty as the person who had repeatedly failed her kingdom to do everything within her power to prevent the next catastrophe.

Zelda held the boy's gaze until, to her gratification, he nodded solemnly and said, "Travel well, cousin." Only then did she let her own gaze soften and nod for him to return to the crowd.

By now, Link had returned, mounted on the graying but ever-steady Epona. "Ready to ride off into the--" he checked the location of the sun, squinting into its bright light, "--eventual sunset?"

"Don't look directly into the sun, Link. You'll go blind."

"But think how much more exciting that would make monster fighting."

It was all she could do not to roll her eyes as the party began its trek out of the courtyard. It seemed the whole population of Castle Town had gathered in the market to see them off, from Honey and Darling, who were holding five children between them, to Mamamu Yan, who was waving one of Richard III's paws at them. Zelda was surprised at the turnout, and more surprised by cheers and sense of joy that seemed to permeate the crowd. But then, she reflected as she heard Link exchanging teasing insults with several of the townsfolk as they rode past, her people had always been resiliently optimistic. Moved more than she cared to think, Zelda leaned over in her saddle to observe to Link, "They seem pretty glad to see us off--do you think they're planning a coup, too?"

"We're not that lucky, Princess."

As they crossed the drawbridge that lead out of the town, she could almost feel the looming bulk of her home receding behind her.

She did not look back.


End file.
